Jacob Seeks God’s Help

Genesis 32:2-12, 27-29

GOLDEN TEXT: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”—Psalms 46:1

IT CANNOT be claimed for Jacob nor for any of the Ancient Worthies (nor for any one else for that matter) that they were perfect and that therefore the Lord favored them. The one thing that stands out distinctly, above any other thing in the character of Jacob—as also that of Abraham and of Isaac—is his faith. Nothing in particular had been explained to him respecting the grand, ultimate consummation of the divine plan as it is our privilege now to see it through the telescope of the divine Word and the illumination of the spirit of truth. He merely knew that a promise had been made to Abraham that seemed to imply the ultimate blessing of the world through his posterity, and his faith had grasped this promise, so that to him it had become a reality, had the predominant power and influence in his life. For that promise he had endured and was still enduring the trials and tests God saw necessary to bring upon him, but he still retained his confidence even in the face of hostility, even though he greatly feared the ill-will and animosity of his brother Esau—for by this time Esau, the possessor of Isaac’s wealth and the lord over his servants, had become even wealthier and more powerful materially than Jacob and, therefore, Jacob feared his might.

The lesson to us is that a still greater promise being left to us—that is to say, the same promise having further developed and divided into two parts, and the higher or spiritual feature having been bestowed upon the church of Christ—we, who realize ourselves to be heirs of this same promise, and who now see its spiritual force and significance have greater reason than had Jacob to humble ourselves before the Lord, to acknowledge our dependence upon Him, to ask Him for deliverance from the great enemy and from every foe to our best interests, and to plead His gracious promises, confirmed unto us by the death of Jesus our Lord. Ah yes! the apostle clearly indicates this when he says to us, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”—Gal. 3:29

We have found that it was often by bringing us into severe trials, ordeals, putting us under crucial tests, that the Lord developed our faith, our love, our trust, our hope in Him. He would have us learn well the lesson, that without Him we can do nothing, but that with His blessing and favor all things are ours, because we are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. (John 15:5; I Cor. 3:21-23) Let us, then, in all the important junctures of life, be sure we are seeking chiefly the divine will, as expressed in the divine promise, the oath-bound covenant: let us seek it patiently, earnestly, persistently, let us wrestle with the Lord that thereby we may be made the stronger; and when the appropriate and advantageous experiences have been properly appreciated and valued, the blessings will come at the proper moment to do us the most good, spiritually and eternally.

In some respects this return of Jacob to the promised land may foreshadow the coming return of his posterity, which is even now at hand. As a nation they are now trembling for fear of extermination in some parts of the world; they know not when the next blow will fall nor in what manner their interests will be injured, but those of them who are in the right attitude of heart toward God will, we believe, very soon come to the praying point. The Lord intimates this, saying respecting the day just before us, “I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they pierced.” (Zech. 12:10) The result of this supplicating will be the blessing of the New Covenant under which, with the Lord’s favor, they will go on to the grand fulfillment of the gracious things already declared three thousand years and more ago.

As a part of the blessing granted by the angel in the name of the Lord, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, explained to signify that he was a prince of God, or had great power with God, as exemplified by the fact that he had secured this blessing by the demonstration of great faith and loyalty and zeal. This name, Israel, is the one by which all his posterity prefer to be known—they are Israelites. As the Scriptures show the Gospel church to be spiritual Israel, and as the Head of the church is Christ, we see another parallel or foreshadowing by Jacob of Jesus’ struggle and our Lord’s triumph in the Garden. It is because our Lord overcame, because He exercised faith and obedience, that He is the great Prince of life and glory appointed to be the great Mediator and Savior of the people.

Already Christ is the Prince of the church, which in obedience to His call walk in His steps, that they may be joint-heirs with Him in the great oath-bound covenant which He has inherited, just as the Israelites sought to follow Jacob and to become heirs of the same promise. But as there were tests upon Jacob, so also there needed to be tests upon his people: and, likewise, as there were tests upon our Redeemer, so there must be tests upon all His people, His followers, His church. Many of the people of natural Israel stumbled because of a lack of faith—not holding on to the divine promise, they were overcome by the spirit of the world, the spirit of selfishness, etc. Similarly in the Gospel age, we find the indication to be that many more have been called than will be chosen—than will be worthy of acceptance as footstep followers of the Redeemer, the spiritual Prince with God. As Jesus was the prevailing Prince with God, so all those whom He accepts as members of His body, His church, must also have the same spirit and be, in the language of the Scriptures, “overcomers.”

As Jacob obtained a new name which was inherited by His posterity, so God proposes a new name for His people—the church, the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Jesus was our Lord’s name, but He is also the Christ, the Messiah, so all who become members of His body come under His new great name, and are recognized of the Lord and may be recognized of each other as members of the Christ. (Rev. 3:12) Again, the Lord, prophetically speaking of Christ says, “This is the name whereby He shall be called, the righteousness of Jehovah.” (Jer. 23:6) And again, speaking of the bride of Christ, we read, “This is the name wherewith she shall be called, the righteousness of Jehovah.” (Jer. 33:16) The name of the Bridegroom is thus also given to His Bride.

QUESTIONS:

Why was Jacob afraid of his brother Esau?

Why was Jacob’s name changed, and what does Israel mean?

Who are spiritual Israelites, and what is their new name?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |